


The Sun Will Rise Again

by Eriesa



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Injury, Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:21:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25259146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eriesa/pseuds/Eriesa
Summary: He wanted nothing more than to move on from his past and start healing. But there are still things he had to do before he can forgive himself. Set after the last chat in DAY 10 of V's route.I did not like Seven's secret ending due to the traumatic events that occurred, and although V's endings (forgive) were better, there were a few non-sensical plotholes. This is a combination of V's after ending and Seven's secret ending.
Relationships: V | Kim Jihyun & Main Character, V | Kim Jihyun/Main Character
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21





	1. A Growing Unease

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: SPOILERS for V's route.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> V could not shake away the unease that is rapidly building up in him. What did Rika mean? Did something happen to the hacker?

MC stared at her phone in silence. It has been 30 minutes since Seven forced Rika out of the messenger and reassured her that things will be taken care of. Rika’s desperate pleas replayed itself over and over again in her mind, it almost made MC felt sorry for her. Almost.

“Haahhh……” MC let out a long sigh. She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to block out the messages from her head.

How did it all come to this, she thought to herself. Meeting Ray and Rika in a religious cult, meeting V, V getting captured and drugged, and V getting saved just to get stabbed by Rika. Was she too gullible in the first place? She accepted Ray’s invitation without much thought, she mused. If she was not stuck at Mint Eye, V would not had to come to rescue her and be captured himself. And Rika would not have broken down then and later stabbed V in desperation. Was it her fault that V was stabbed?

“No,” she whispered to herself, willing herself to believe that it wasn’t her fault. She was just tired, that’s all. Maybe some of V’s self-blame habits had rubbed off on her, she thought wryly. “Soon…. Soon, the situation will return to normal,” she repeated to herself under her breath, as though the situation will improve by repeating the words.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a small groan beside her. V laid on the hospital bed beside her, intravenous lines hooked to his arms. “MC?” he whispered.

“V, I’m here. Are you alright? Is your wound causing you a lot of pain?” MC gently asked the teal-haired man beside her. She reached for his hand and gave it a small squeeze.

V eyes fluttered open. “Sorry, I dozed off a little. My head’s still a little groggy from the painkillers. Well, at least the painkillers are working.”

“Don’t feel sorry. You need to rest,” MC replied, stroking his hand with her thumb.

V glanced at the wall clock and turned to stare at the ceiling. “Did anything happened after that..chat?”

“If you mean the chat with Rika, no, I’ve not heard anything from Seven. I hope everything’s ok.” MC furrowed her brows and sighed. “I hope everyone’s ok.”

V sat up the bed slowly and grimaced a little from the pain. “V, don’t overexert yourself, let me help you,” MC exclaimed, quickly assisting him to sit up and propping a pillow behind his back. “MC,” V held both of her arms but avoided her gaze. “I just couldn’t help but feel responsible for everything that has happened, for everyone caught up in this mess I created…. I wanted to resolve this by myself, but I-”

“Hush, V, stop it. Please stop it. Stop blaming yourself,” MC cried out. She was already so exhausted, but she refused to let him beat himself up. “V, look at me.” V slowly turn to look at the lady beside him, her face full of concern, of sadness.

“You know that this has gotten out of control for a single person to handle. You’ve tried so hard, and you got injured not once, but twice. I wish you would think about yourself more. V, you are loved, please don’t take all this burden by yourself,” MC plead. V stared at her. She was so beautiful, even when her face was full of sorrow, with a hint of dark circles under her eyes.

“I’m sorry, MC, and thank you,” V whispered. He gave her a small smile.

She smiled in return and placed a hand on V’s head, gently caressing his hair.

“MC, I wished everything would go back to normal again, I wished the RFA would be happy again. And Rika and Sae- And Rika to find her peace...“

MC looked up at the ceiling briefly before turning her gaze back at the man so dear to her. Her hand still stroked his hair. “We will get through this together, V. Believe in yourself, believe in me, and the RFA. ” MC smiled at V softly, fully wishing that her words will be able to soothe him.

\-----

A doctor and a nurse came into V’s room shortly after.

“Mr Kim, I’m glad to see that you’ve regained consciousness so quickly after the surgery. I am the surgeon who operated on you earlier,” the doctor introduced himself with a cheerful voice.

“You had a small bowel perforation from the stab wound, but luckily, the perforation was small. We were able to resect a small part of the damaged intestine and joined them back together without many complications. The stab wound was shallow and did not damage any other organs.”

The doctor picked up V’s medication chart and skimmed through the medication schedule. “You will need to be on painkillers and some antibiotics for the next few days as we continue to monitor your condition. We need to make sure that you do not develop an infection and that the wound heals up nicely.”

V nodded in response. “Thank you for saving me.”

The doctor smiled. “I’m just doing my job,” he replied cheerfully. “You have a lot of people who cared for you. Especially this lady,” he gestured at MC.

MC bit her lower lip to hide her embarrassed smile.

“Anyway, your vital signs looked stable. Please take care of yourself and don’t overexert yourself. Let your wound heal up nicely.” The doctor nodded and exited the room with the nurse, as V and MC thanked them profusely.

\------

V squeezed his eyes shut as soon as the doctor left his room. It was a relief knowing that his operation went smoothly and that his condition was stable. One less thing to worry about. Not that he was particularly worried about himself, but he did not want MC to worry any more than she should.

She was the one thing that supported him when he wanted to give up after being captured at Mint Eye. She gave him the courage to stand back on his feet, to break free from his past. He did not know what he did to deserve her, he had wronged so many people, and yet even now, MC stood by him, with him.

V opened his eyes and looked at her. She was so beautiful, so kind, so caring. He wanted to reach out to her and hug her. He could still remember her embrace in the woods vividly, the smell of her hair, the warmth of her body. Perhaps, with MC beside him, he can set a new path for himself again.

But first, he needed to find something out.

In the last chat Rika asked him to mourn for Ray. V had finally gathered enough courage to walk away from Rika, to not believe her words, her pleas, but those words had managed to shake him. He felt uneasy. Mourn for Ray? Did something happen to….Saeran? V could not shake the thought out of his head no matter how hard he tried. The unease grew and chewed on his mind.

He needed to call Luciel if he wanted to find out about the current situation…. About Mint Eye… About the hacker, about Saeran. But MC will hear him if he called Luciel here. What should he do? He did not want to involve her more than he already did, although he knew that she would want to help if she could. She was selfless.

As though she read his mind, she opened her mouth and said, “V, we can do this together, ok? I got your back and you’ve got mine. I will always support you, so don’t worry. You can trust me on this.” She smiled at him. Her eyes were shining, genuine and full of love. V couldn’t help but smile back at her.

“MC… thank you. You gave me the courage to do so many things. But there is something I need to do for now…” He trailed off, uncertainty creeping into his voice. Is it really ok to involve her in this?

“V, what’s on your mind? Tell me, V, please… You don’t have to do this by yourself.”

“MC….I need to find out what happened to the hacker…to S- I mean Ray. I need to know what happened to their base at Mint Eye. I need to call Luciel.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “V, I was thinking the same thing! I couldn’t shake the feeling that Rika was hiding something from us. I asked her so many times about Ray, but she refused to answer me,” she exclaimed. “Oh, I know Ray was the one who drugged you in the cell….” MC grimaced from the thought, “but I think he was brainwashed to conduct Mint Eye’s directives... I think we should help him…”

V nodded in agreement. “Don’t worry MC, I won’t hold it against him. I…might even deserved that for….” V shook his head. “This is not the time for this. Shall we call Luciel together?”

MC nodded quickly. “Let’s do it.”

\------

_Riiiiinnngg…._

Seven’s phone buzzed in his pocket. “Who is it, at this time,” Seven muttered under his breath in annoyance. He was in Rika’s apartment with Jumin’s guards and firefighters. Luckily, the explosion was not that big, leaving the structural integrity of the apartment and building intact. The furniture was, however, destroyed in the blast and was in flames.

For the past forty minutes, the firefighters fought against the fires and had put out most of the flames in the apartment. The apartment was full of smoke and debris. The police officers were outside the building, sealing off the premise from curious onlookers that have gathered on the streets.

Seven had entered the apartment as soon as the fires were out. He was relieved that the firefighters did not find remains of a body in the apartment but he had to make sure by himself. He had to make sure that Rika was not in the apartment when it blew up. The smoke obscured his vision greatly, as he breathed through his face mask. 

Nothing, there was no traces of a body. Rika was not here.

He heaved a sigh of relief. He will need to find if there were salvageable documents pertaining to Mint Eye, though. Perhaps he can start at the bedroom.

“Ooff,” Seven grunted as one of Jumin’s bodyguard bumped into him on his way to the bedroom. “Sorry,” the guard mumbled and made his way out of the bedroom. Seven bit back an annoyed reply from his lips. He was irritable and exhausted, the adrenaline from the bomb explosion and the relief from not finding Rika had started to ebb away, leaving him drained.

_Riiiiinnngg…._

Seven’s phone buzzed in his pocket. “Who is it, at this time,” Seven muttered under his breath in annoyance. He reached his gloved hand into his pocket and pulled his phone out.

“V?” V’s name was written on the front screen of his phone. Ack, he needed to take the call. Seven quickly made his way out of the smoky apartment and took off his face mask at the corridor.

“Hello, V?” Seven said tentatively.

“Luciel, it’s me. I need to talk to you, is this a good time?” V asked.

“It’s not the best of times, but sure, fire away. But first, you’ve regained consciousness! What a relief! Everyone was so worried, especially MC! She has not left your side the whole time at the hospital,” Seven exclaimed.

“Thank you, Luciel. By the way, I’ve put this call on loudspeaker mode as MC wants to listen in as well,” V replied, with a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Hi, Seven. Yes, I was really worried,” MC quipped, her cheeks colouring in embarrassment. “Thanks for point it out.”

“Well, it was pretty obvious anyway,” Seven chuckled. He couldn’t resist teasing her a bit more. “It was thanks to you that V is recovering well. You holding his hand, caressing his face, stroking his face, whispering words of encouragement and love-“

“Seven!! You weren’t even here, how do you know that?” MC’s face was flushed red. She quickly turned away from V.

“Oh, so you mean it was true? You doing all that-“

V smiled. These short, light-hearted moments brought warmth to his heart, especially since it was about MC’s concerns for him. He looked at MC and saw one hand inconspicuously covering her face, as she tried to hide her embarrassment. Her cheeks were red. She was so cute.

Wanting to save her from further embarrassment, V spoke, “Ahem, Luciel, I’m still here. I have urgent matters to ask you.” V glanced at MC and mouthed “I got this.” MC gave him a grateful smile.

“Do you know if anything happened at Mint Eye? When I last chat with Rika, she left some… worrying messages,” V said. He was trying to sound as neutral as possible. He glanced at MC, who had leaned in to hear the phone better.

“I saw the messages. Actually-,” Seven paused for a while. There is no problem in telling V, right? There was no hidden motive to his question, right? He wanted to trust V, but with the chaos surrounding him, it was hard not feel wary about the current situation. V will eventually find out anyway, Seven reasoned with himself. I guess I can tell him.

“Actually…. There was a large explosion at Mint Eye. I saw it via the satellite images. It ha-“

“An explosion? When did it happen?” Colour drained from V’s face. He gripped his phone tighter. MC’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth in shock.

“About an hour ago. I’m sorry I did not inform you yet. You were unconscious after your surgery, I-“

“Seven! You could have told me,” MC interrupted him in dismay. “I am involved in this as much as you were, even more and I have-“

“MC, I’m sorry, you were worried about V. I thought being with him takes priority, and I didn’t want to worry you further.“

“Yes, but-“

“Sorry MC, things were really hectic. We were planning to apprehend Rika at her apartment, me and Jumin’s bodyguards, I mean. I did tell Jumin about Mint Eye’s explosion though, so he should be preparing his team to visit the place.”

“Luciel, where are you now? Are you at Rika’s apartment? What happened there?” V asked worriedly.

“Oh…ya.. erm.. how do I say this,” Seven rubbed his temples absent-mindedly. He could feel a headache forming at the sides of his head. “Yes, I’m at Rika’s apartment. There was an explosion here too, bu-“

“WHAT?! What-“

Seven winced from the shouts coming from his phone. “BUT Rika is not here, ok? Calm down, I’ve checked this place. She’s not here. She must have left the place earlier.”

Silence from the phone.

Seven sighed. “Sorry, this is also a lot to take in for me. I need to look through her apartment again for salvageable documents pertaining to Mint Eye. And I’ll be heading to Mint Eye building too, after I’m done here.” Seven gave another sigh and rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to ease the stress building up. He was so tired, but he could not afford to rest for now. He needed to go to Mint Eye headquarters as soon as possible. He wondered what happened to the hacker that he fought with.

“Luciel, are you alright? Is your location at Rika’s apartment, safe? ” V’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Seven. Thank you for telling us all this. You are safe, right? Was the apartment blown to bits? Isn’t it dangerous to be there?” It was MC’s voice this time.

“The explosion here is not as large as Mint Eye’s. The building is still intact. Don’t worry, the fire’s almost out too.”

“Seven,” MC said, “Please take care of yourself. You are ok, right? I’m sorry we are not there to help you. I wish I could help you...” Although she was shocked to hear about the explosions, she could not help but feel worried for Seven. Seven had been working tirelessly for many days but she could not leave V by himself. V had just regained consciousness and now…this. V was too involved to not be affected by the news. She looked over at V, and sure enough, his face was ashen. She would not be much help to Seven anyway, MC consoled herself.

“Luciel... are you sure Rika is not there? I know I've broken things off with her... but I could not help but feel shocked about the explosion and if...." V trailed off, unable to complete his sentence.

" V, I know what you mean. I'm positively sure she is not here when the blast went off. LIke 99% sure."

There was a pause on V's side before he replied. "Alright, I trust your judgment. Thank you, Luciel. I will speak to Jumin about this,” V said over the phone.

Seven nodded, although they could not see him. “Ok V, take care. Please remember you were just out of surgery. MC, you take care of yourself too. Bye.”

Seven stared at his phone and watched the call end. MC was worried about him, he thought to himself with a smile. He did not know MC for long, but he could tell that she was a kind girl.

He leaned back against the wall and racked his hand through his fiery red hair. Tired, so tired. He closed his eyes and let the din fade away. It would be nice if someone cared for him right now, at this very moment. To fuss over him and give him words of encouragement. Someone like.. MC. He noticed how she cared for V at the cabin: worrying over his condition, wiping the perspiration from his body, feeding him, even though she was exhausted herself. She was always beside him.

Seven shook his head as if to clear his thoughts on MC. “What am I doing? Why am I thinking about her when I barely know her?” Seven rubbed his eyes open. “I must be too tired,” he muttered to himself. “Back to work,” he said and placed his phone back in his pocket. He stood up, put on his face mask and headed back to Rika’s apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the first chapter! This is my first fanfic ever, and I was compelled to write this because I couldn't accept the huge plotholes in V's after ending: how did V save Saeran when he was in the hospital? Why did V not tell Seven that Saeran is alive? Seven almost wanted to kill himself T_T
> 
> I love V but he needs to apologize to the twins! In Seven's after ending, I couldn't accept that Saeran killed V (essentially making Saeran a murderer and V died T_T).
> 
> This story aims to address all that and give everyone a sensible happy ending! Yay!


	2. Secrets, Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> V has to convince MC to let him go to Mint Eye's building.

V ended his call with Seven. He frowned at his phone and was lost in thoughts for a few minutes. Rika... was not caught up in the explosion at her apartment, right? No, Seven said she was not there.. Then, what about Saeran at Magenta? Is he still there? Rika's ominous words about mourning for Saeran played in his head.

V's face paled at the thought that Saeran might still be at Magenta. He quickly opened his phone's contacts and was about to dial Jumin’s number when MC grabbed his hand.

“Wait. Stop. What are you doing?”

“I need to call Jumin to find out about Mint Eye’s building explosion,” V replied.

“Ok, sure. Is finding more information the only thing you planned to do? You are not planning to do anything in… your condition, are you?” She stared straight at him. “You are not planning to go there yourself, are you?”

“What? I-“ V stopped short. Calling Jumin was the most logical next step for him. He had not thought about his next course of action, but hearing it from MC made him realized that that was exactly what he planned to do. He instinctively placed his hand above his abdominal wound, as though trying to hide the fact that he was injured.

V put his phone down and took a deep breath. What can he do? What must he do? He must save Saeran, if Saeran is still there. But the building is five hours away by car. Is Saeran even there in the first place? Will he be too late? What if he’s already-

V shook his head. No, no. He must go there to check for himself. If there is even a slight chance he’s still alive by then, then he must be there to save him.

“V?” MC broke his thoughts. She looked at him worriedly.

“MC,” he whispered, “I think…..,” V paused and cleared his throat. Gathering strength in his voice, he said, “I might need to go down to Mint Eye..”

If MC was surprised, she did not show it on her face. Indeed, she had become accustomed to V’s desire to do everything by himself. “V, you know very well that you were heavily injured. Specialized staff would have been mobilized by now, why don’t we wait for news of their findings?” Her hands were clasped tightly together.

V shook his head in despair, “I can’t. I need to go there myself.”

“But I’m worried about your condition. You need to think about yourself more.”

Silence.

MC stared at her hands. “This is about the hacker, isn’t it? About what Rika said. Look, I am worried too, I stayed with the hacker, so I know him-“

“Not as much as I do!” The sudden outburst shocked both V and MC. V cursed at himself inwardly. “MC, I’m sorry-“

She shook her head and held his hands firmly, “Don’t. Just tell me why.”

V swallowed the lump in his throat. There was no way around it. He owed her an explanation, and it was about time he told her the secret. Perhaps it might even take some of the weight off from his chest.

“MC, I am not trying to throw my life away. You changed me in ways I couldn’t even imagine. I want to live again. But this hacker, if there is even a slight chance for me to save him, then I must take the chance. I will regret it for the rest of my life if he is still there and I failed to save him...” V closed his eyes shut. “MC, he... he was taken in by Rika and myself a few years ago. When Rika changed, she took him away and… by the time I found him, he was already…. I thought I could save him and Rika but....“

V winced as if in pain. His breath was ragged and he was trembling. He squeezed MC’s hands tightly and looked at her, “MC, this hacker, this Ray, is Saeyoung’s- Luciel’s _twin brother,_ Saeran. I failed to save him from Rika before. And now, if I lose this chance to save him, I will have lost the chance… forever.”

MC stared at him, stunned. She opened her mouth but no words came out.

A million things raced through her mind. How is this even possible? Twin brothers? Separated twin brothers? Rika raised and brainwashed Seven's twin brother? But come to think of it, Ray did look awfully similar to Seven.

_Wait, didn’t V said that Seven did not know the hacker?_

“You hid this from Seven,” she whispered, as realization dawned on her.

One look at V was all it took to confirm it.

 _Oh my god._ MC took a deep breath. “Ok.... let’s call Jumin right now.” V nodded in agreement. “But if you’re going, if Jumin even let us go, then I’m coming with you.”

“No buts,” she said and raised her hand, stopping his attempt to protest. “I want to be by your side. Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself first.”

V was silent for a minute before slowly nodding. He dialed Jumin’s phone and switched on the loudspeaker. It rang.

“MC, are you angry at me?” V asked quietly while waiting for the phone to be picked up.

“I’ll get angry at you later. Though I probably won’t be the only one,” she gave him a wry smile. V responded with a small smile. He was so grateful for MC’s support. She had become his strength and hope. He stroked his fingers over her hand tenderly.

 _Ringg…_ “Hello?” It was Jumin.

\-----

There was a flurry of activity at C&R International building. Officers were on the phones, the guards were running through instructions for anticipated scenarios, other staff was gathering equipment.

Jumin was in the midst of it all, in the preparation room. He looked through the documents pertaining to his staff role and equipment list for deployment to Mint Eye. Satellite images of the explosions were strewn in front of him across the desk.

Jumin was contemplating to go down to the site himself. He wanted to see for himself, the base that Rika built, the base that is now on fire. However, as the temporary head of the RFA, he might be needed at base in case an unexpected situation arose. Judging from recent events, anything seemed possible right now. Zen might even be his long lost brother, or worse, end up as his best friend by the time this whole thing is over.

No, that’s impossible.

Jumin leaned back in his chair and sighed loudly. He was tired and he missed Elizabeth the 3rd. He had not had the chance to see her since the previous day’s morning. Perhaps he should stay at his office, at the base, to head the situation. He could then go back home to Elizabeth the 3rd for a short while. After all, the fire department, police, and medical teams were already on their way. He could go down later, once things have quietened down.

_Riingg….._

Ughh, who is it? Jumin groaned inwardly. He picked up his phone.

“V?”

Jumin was instantly awake. He quickly answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Jumin, it’s me.”

“V, when did you wake up from your surgery? How are you feeling? Is MC there with you?”

“A few hours ago. I’m fine. MC is here. Listen, Jumin, I need to ask you a favour.” There was an urgency in his voice that Jumin had not heard before.

“What is it?”

“We heard from Luciel about the explosion at Rika’s apartment and at Mint Eye. I- We, me and MC, need to go to Mint Eye’s building..now.”

Jumin frowned. “I see that you’re well informed. Whatever your intentions may be, might I remind you that you are in no condition to leave the hospital right now? You should focus on recovering first. We can visit Mint Eye building at a later time.”

Jumin could almost see V frowning at him.

“Jumin, I can’t explain to you right now. There is no time. Please, you must trust me on this. There is something I must do there. Something I must do, with my life.”

“You are not thinking about throwing your life away or-“

“No, Jumin, please- “

“Jumin!” It was MC this time. Jumin raised his eyebrows in surprise. “It’s me. I’m with V. He has a very important reason to go there. Otherwise, I would not have agreed to let him go. I will be there to take care of him, too. So Jumin, please, please, bring us there.”

Jumin was surprised. MC, who cried when V was having his operation, agreed to let him go to the explosion site. The circumstances must be dire.

“I understand. V, you will need to explain yourself later. You said that it was urgent, right? I will get the helicopter ready. Meet me at my office as soon as you can.”

“Thank you, Jumin.”

“Jumin, thank you! You are so awesome!” MC exclaimed.

“No need. V is my friend,” Jumin answered firmly. “Then, I will see you.”

“Yes, thank you.” Click.

Jumin immediately began dialing on his phone again. He will need to make a few calls in preparation for the trip. He made up his mind. He will be going to the explosion site, with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I thought it was incredibly important for V to tell MC the truth, otherwise he would not have been able to go down to MInt Eye so quickly. I hope I was able to capture their emotions well.


	3. The Dark Tunnel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> His was a cruel life. Saeran was about to complete his final mission, with no intention of escaping himself.
> 
> But nothing ever goes the way he wanted.
> 
> I used the name 'Ray' when describing him from MC's point of view and 'Saeran' when describing V's.

Tears dripped onto his lap as he stared at the display screens forlornly. The room was silent save for his quiet sobs. It was getting hard to see clearly. Shakily, he raised one hand to wipe the tears away and gave the multiple CCTV screens one last look, ensuring that the building was empty.

It was time to complete his mission, the last mission given to him by his Savior. She cared for him and gave him a purpose in life: it was only logical that he reciprocate it with his loyalty. It was only right.

_But she left you. Along with everyone else._

He shook his head sadly. There was no hope, no future, there was nothing left for him. There never was.

It was time to go. He steeled himself and typed the algorithm into his computer.

_“Enter”_

_“Confirm initiation?”_

_“Yes”_

_“Please re-enter the password”_

_“-----------------------”_

_“Password accepted. Initiating countdown sequence”_

_“5:00”_

_“4:59”_

_“4:58”_

This is it.

“Haaa…” It’s done. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling blankly. He wondered if the clouds were pretty that night. He had forgotten to look at them in a while. Thoughts drifted in and out of his mind.

“MC, are you happy somewhere under the clouds?”

_“3:25”_

_“3:24”_

“Will you miss me once I’m gone?” Tears rolled down the side of his face.

“MC, I miss you.” He lifted one hand into the air as though she was in front of him.

_“2:41”_

_“2:40”_

“Goodbye, MC,” he whispered.

_“1:33”_

_“1:32”_

And then, he thought of _him_. He thought of Saeyoung. A small smile formed at the corner of his mouth. He hacked against Saeyoung for the past few days and he was unable to repel him. A small sense of accomplishment welled in him.

“We competed and I… won, didn’t I? Did you not know that it was me?”

_“0:39”_

_“0:38”_

He took in a deep breath exhaled slowly. “It’s been so many years since you left me…. I wonder if you’ve ever thought of me…. If you’ve ever cared for me….”

_“0:10”_

_“0:09”_

“I miss you...” Saeran closed his eyes and let his arms fall limply at his side.

_“0:03”_

_“0:02”_

“…Brother.”

\------

Then it came: the blast. Multiple explosives went off at the same time, in different parts of the building. The ceiling began collapsing. The windows shattered, the walls crumbled and the floor broke. The sound was deafening, louder than anything Saeran had ever hear before. The ground shook violently, throwing him off his chair.

He fell on his right side and hit his head against the concrete floor. The world turned dark for a while.

He regained consciousness not long after. Saeran opened his eyes and glanced around the room in a daze.

The door was gone and the windows were broken. There was smoke entering the room through the doorway. There were large cracks on the floor, walls and ceiling, though the ceiling had not yet collapsed. Plasters and debris rained on him. 

“Ughh… What happened?”

Then he remembered. He had set off the bomb in the building. He was supposed to die in the explosion. And yet, he was there, still conscious, still breathing. Still alive _._ How long was he out for?

His whole body was hurting. He winced in pain and attempted to sit himself up. Chunks of debris fell off him and the world spun around him. He sat there, unmoving for a few minutes, and felt warm liquid trickled down his face. Gingerly, he reached to touch his head. It was blood.

Saeran wiped his face with the back of his sleeve, staining his maroon jacket red. He felt both arms and legs as he tried to access the damage received. At least his arms and legs seemed to be intact. What now? He stared around the room miserably.

Fresh tears welled up in his eyes. Why had he not disappear in the blast? Why did nothing ever go the way he wanted? He had wanted nothing more to do with this life, but he survived the blast against all odds.

He drew a jagged breath and coughed. The air was thick with debris and smoke, making it hard to breathe. Instinctively, Saeran began crawling towards the window. Every crawl that he made, made his body screamed in pain. His head was still spinning and there was ringing in his ears.

“Ouch!” Saeran cried as he cut his hand on a piece of glass. He paused to examine his cut hand: a 3 cm cut across his right palm. He pressed his wound against his left arm and continued crawling, put more pressure on his elbows. He made his way to the wall under the window and swept the glasses away with his covered arms. Satisfied that there were no shards of glass remaining, he laid his injured body down on the floor.

There air was clearer there. Despite the debris falling around, at least he could breathe without choking. He pressed his cut hand against his shirt in a feeble attempt to stop the bleeding. He didn’t know what hurt worse; his head or his hand. The rest of his body was aching as well.

“Haaa…. So this is how it ends for me,” he muttered to himself. “Not an instantaneous death, but a slow, agonizing death. Even at the very end, life continues to torture me,” he thought brokenly. For as long as he can remember, the dark tunnel had never ceased in his life. There was no light in his life, and happiness was an elusive dream. Until that day when he met MC, he had forgotten what it feels like to be happy. But even that was a nothing but a fleeting moment of joy.

Saeran curled up and sobbed. Everything hurts, and he wanted nothing more than for his pain to disappear, for him to disappear. He wanted to forget everything and not feel anything anymore. And maybe, just maybe, he could be reborn again, in a happier life.

Tears mixed with blood streamed down his face sideways onto the floor. He could feel the room getting warmer with smoke flowing through the doorway. The building was on fire, and it was only a matter of time before the fire reached his room. He laid there with his eyes closed, unmoving, crying quietly. 

\------

He did not know how long had passed since the explosion. The bleeding from his wounds had seemingly stopped, and all he felt was a dull ache over his body. The air was getting smoky, making it difficult to breathe at times. His eyes stung and his throat felt dry and irritated. He tried to cover his nose and mouth with his sleeve, but the air did not improve. He could feel himself getting weaker.

He was tired, so tired now. He could barely keep his eyes open. He gave a cough, the action sending bolts of pain through his body.

“Argghh….”

He coughed again. It was hard to breathe.

“I should…..slee..eep… Tir..red…” he murmured, as the world grew darker.

\------

“How long more until we reach the site?” MC yelled loudly, over the din of the spinning rotor from the helicopter.

“Can you repeat your question?? I can’t hear you,” Jumin replied loudly.

“I SAID HOW LONG MORE UNTIL WE REACH MINT EYE?” MC shouted.

“Soon. Around 30 minutes!” Jumin shouted back.

MC sat back in her seat. She was so restless. V was seated between Jumin and her, hunched and fidgeting with his hands. Behind them, sat three special operations staff. On Jumin’s insistence, all of them were dressed in fire-resistant suits on top of their bulletproof vests. Well, Jumin was someone who always prepared for the worst.

MC stared out of the window anxiously. It was actually her first time riding a helicopter, but her excitement was drowned by her worries. Her concerns for V, and the nervousness of going back to Magenta. The nervousness of discovering something at the site of the explosion, at Magenta. Right, Magenta was the name of the Mint Eye building that she stayed in. Jumin had given V and her a quick run-through of the information found from the C&R intelligence unit.

“V, are you-“ Realizing that she could not be heard over the noise, she repeated loudly, “V! ARE YOU OK? Is your wound hurting?”

V looked up from his hunched position and turned to look at MC. “No, MC. I am fine. My stomach does not hurt.”

MC glanced at Jumin briefly, who was also looking at V in concern. “Ok, if you say so!” She threw her arms around V, who looked at her in surprise. “V! It’s going to be OK! Trust me!” MC shouted, albeit a little louder than planned.

V nodded and managed a small smile. MC was still trying to encourage him, even though she was nervous herself.

“Look. We can see the building now,” Jumin said loudly, gesturing outwards the window on his left.

Both MC and V quickly broke from the embrace and turned to look outside. In was still a distance away, but they could see the building on fire, with dark smoke bellowing up into the sky. MC swallowed her saliva nervously. She could see the familiar shape of the building that she once stayed in, in flames. Please, let there be no one caught in the explosion, she pleaded silently. She reached for V’s hand and squeezed gently. There was a slight tremble in her hand.

“V! We are in this together ok? Whatever you do, don’t rush in by yourself, ok?? Keep yourself safe, please!”

V nodded again. He was trying his best not to show the fear in his eyes. There were so many things running through his mind. His other free hand gripped the seat tightly as if trying to draw strength from it. Even the calm and collected Jumin looked worried, as they neared the site of the explosion.

The burning building was soon in plain view. Part of it was destroyed it the blast, as expected. The fire was fiercely burning through the remnants of the building. Fortunately, the fire department and medical team had already reached the site. MC, V and Jumin could see the vehicles ‘flashing lights from the helicopter.

V held onto MC’s hand tightly. He looked into her eyes, his fear turning into resolve. There is no turning back now.

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

The helicopter began its descent.

\-----

The fire raged on relentlessly even with the dozen firefighters nearby spraying jets of water. Heavy smoke below upwards into the night sky above, towards the thick heavy clouds that have begun to gather.

The heat emanating from the building was intense. MC and V stood a distance away while Jumin spoke with the officer in charge of the operation. V looked anxiously at MC and back at the building. “This is taking too long,” he muttered anxiously to no one in particular. He would have dashed in already if he was alone and did not have MC beside him.

Jumin hurried over to the pair with his guards in tow. “V, MC, they have been battling the fire for the past 30 minutes and have attempted to enter the building to look for survivors. However, they did not manage to get very far due to various obstructions and other safety concerns. They did not find anyone yet.”

MC nodded.

“I suggest we wait for now until the fire recedes. I will speak to my intelligence unit on the scene to see if they had found anything else. I’ll be back shortly. Don’t do anything….rash for now.” Jumin glanced at the pair before he strode off.

As soon as Jumin was out of earshot, V grabbed MC’s hands and pulled her aside. “MC, there’s another way to Saeran’s room other than the main entrance. There is an entrance through the back garden which will lead us through a shorter route. I’m going to check it out now, while the officers are busy at the main entrance. I can’t wait any longer.”

MC nodded.

“MC, are you sure you want to come with me? It will be dangerous…. If anything were to happen to you, I’ll…..” V trailed off, a pained expression on his face.

MC shook her head. “I’ll be fine. V, we discussed this. I need to take care of you too, you’re injured, remember?” V kept quiet.

“Look, V, I took these helmets from the helicopter.” MC proudly held out two orange helmets with her hands. “This will protect us better.” MC quickly put a helmet on V’s head and fastened the harness before wearing one herself.

“OK, let’s go.” MC tugged at V’s hand and began walking quickly.

V couldn’t help a small chuckle. He was eternally grateful for the support she was offering him. “MC, you’re going in the wrong direction. This way.” He gently pulled against her hand towards the opposite direction.

They quickly made their way out of sight from the other officers and slipped past the barricades. V expertly weaved through the shrubs and they quickly arrived at the back garden. They hurried through the path surrounded by flowering bushes and the scene soon changed into a beautiful garden.

The garden was largely undisturbed, saved from the stray debris from the explosion.

“This is the back garden that only a few followers had access to. Its restricted entry compared to the garden at the main entrance. Rika and Saeran often came here,” V said. MC nodded, acknowledging his words as she stared at the flowers around her. The garden had so many different flowers. The arrays of colours were beautiful, calming, in contrast to the burning building a slight distance.

MC did not have much time to admire the garden as they rushed towards the building. Not all parts of the building were on fire from their view, but it was clear that most of them were in ruins. MC recognized parts of the garden as they approached the building. It was where Ray and Rika had brought her for their walk. V was also abducted here, near the building’s back entrance.

They soon reached the steps of the building. The door was ajar and smoke was coming out of the door.

V glanced at MC and squeezed her hands tightly. “Ready?”

MC gulped. She tried to hide the nervousness in her voice. “R-Ready. Let’s go.”

They quickly stepped through the door.

\------

It was a mess inside the building. The hallway was littered with debris, and the part of the crumbling ceiling had gaps in them. The rooms that they passed by all were all in ruins, as flames licked the walls and floors. The doors were torn apart. Thankfully, the hallway itself was not completed obstructed by the torn structures or fire.

V’s eyes began to water, obscuring his already bad vision even more.

“V, watch out!” He felt a quick tug of his arms that stopped him in his tracks. Moments later, a slab of the ceiling fell in front of him.

“Thank you,” he turned around to see a worried-looking MC. MC shook her head in response.

V looked back up at the ceiling, and after determining that the rest would hold for the time being, hurried across the fallen structure. He glanced behind to see MC doing the same.

They reached a junction and turned left.

“V, watch out for the burning beam up ahead!” MC yelled. She rubbed her watery eyes quickly with one hand. Her other arm was covering her nose in a feeble attempt to block out the smoke.

“I know!” V yelled back.

They ducked under a burning beam and soon reached a set of staircase that led downwards. The path was however partially obstructed by fallen debris.

“MC, Saeran’s room is up ahead! It’s half-underground, along with their hacking- data room. It’s a safety feature for all their electronic equipment!”

V quickly bent to clear the debris away. As he lifted the larger pieces aside, he suddenly felt a sharp pain tearing across his abdomen. He inhaled sharply.

“V, what’s wrong?” MC asked, sensing his discomfort.

“Nothing,” V replied through clenched teeth. His wound must have reopened. He mustn’t tell MC about it. Not at this critical moment. He willed his hands to lift the fallen structures and pushed them aside.

MC stared at V. She knew something was wrong. “V…? V… Are you sure?”

“MC. I… am fine.” V forced the words out. “Please.” He looked at MC, silently begging her to stop worrying about him. Not right now, not when they were so close.

MC looked down and continued clearing the pathway. She could feel tears forming at her eyes, which were already stinging from the smoke. They worked silently for a few minutes and were soon able to access the stairs.

V clutched his abdomen as they made their way downwards. It was hurting him. Please, please hold on a while more, he pleads silently. There were only three rooms there. Although it was still smoky and warm in the corridor, it was fortunate that none of the rooms were actually on fire. There were large cracks along the walls and ceiling as the hallway looked to be in danger of collapsing.

MC walked quickly ahead of V and looked into the first room. No one there. It was filled with books, thrown off their bookshelves. Opposite it was a large room with what looked like a reinforced doorway. The door was missing, as with the other rooms. She peered into the room and saw multiple cracked and broken screens, with a few still mounted on the wall, but largely on the floor.

“V! Is this the data room?” She turned to look at V. V quickly removed his hand from his stomach and nodded. She hurried entered the room with V close behind.

It was a large room. A heavy wooden door was lying on the floor. The floor was littered with computers, monitor screens, chairs and large debris. A large part of the ceiling’s plaster had fallen off, revealing large cracks on the concrete structure. Multiple cracks lined the walls. And at a faraway wall, underneath a high window that was broken, she spotted him. Ray.

Her breath caught in her chest.

“V… V! Look, he’s there! It’s Ray! Oh my god!” MC shouted in a panic. She rushed across the room towards the broken body. She could hear V close behind her. She reached first and knelt beside him.

“Ray? Can you hear me? Oh my god, oh my god, please be alive!” MC was shaking in fear. She bent down and cupped Ray’s bloodied face in her hands. It was still warm. Her hand instinctively placed itself on his chest. She could feel his heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest.

“V, he’s still alive!” MC looked at V with tears in her eyes. V gave a deep sigh of relief.

“That’s good news. We were lucky. Now, we need to get out of here as soon as possible.”

MC nodded quickly and attempted to lift Ray up. He was too heavy for her.

“Uhh!” She grunted in frustration.

“MC, you can’t carry him. Help me carry him up.” V slipped his arms under Ray’s thin body and MC quickly did the same. They lifted him at the same time and V adjusted his hold on Ray’s body. MC quickly took the initiative to lead the way out.

\------

They hurried out of the corridor and up the stairways. With MC’s guidance, they managed to avoid falling debris on their way through the smoke-filled hallway. MC coughed a few times as they made their way out. She was getting a headache on top of her burning eyes and throat.

“Just a little more,” she said as she spotted the exit in front of her. She quickly glanced behind to make sure that V and Ray were still there.

“V, we are almost out!” she said to the turquoise haired man behind her. His face was facing down as he stumbled forward clutching Ray in his arms. She could see that he was struggling. Anxiously she quickened her pace towards the exit. They were so close.

\-----

V heard her. They were close to the exit. And yet, each step he took felt heavier than the last. The short burst of adrenaline that kicked in upon discovering Saeran had all but ran out. His own abdominal pain was excruciating and he was dizzy. He was choking from the smoke and could not see much anymore. Close, so close.

And then part of his vision blackened ever so quickly. Using all his remaining strength, he forced himself to remain awake and tightened his grip on Saeran. He dropped onto his knees and slumped on the floor, still carrying Saeran. He drew in heavy, ragged breaths and coughed violently. The pain in his stomach stab at him with each cough.

“V!!” He heard her scream. He could barely make out her face in front of him. “V, oh my god, V, please hang on! V, the exit is just there!” He heard her sobs. There was a slight lift as MC tried to pull him up. V hung his head low and tried his best to stay conscious.

“Give… me a moment….” V whispered. “Help me up again…”

V slowly pushed himself up with MC pulling at his shoulders. He swayed slightly on his feet and quickly felt MC’s hands steadying him. MC placed her arms under Saeran who was still in V's arms. He could feel Saeran’s body lighten as she helped to lift him up. MC was in front of V, carrying Saeran together with him.

“This way, I can stop you from falling forward and help to carry Ray. I will be walking backward, but I’ll try my best to look out for any dangers. Anyway, we are almost out.” MC shifted her body slightly and craned her neck to look at the exit. The path is almost clear.

Slowly, they made their way out into the garden.

V could feel the difference in the air as soon as they were out. He allowed himself to fall on his knees as his world darkened around him. He no longer had any strength left in his body. He heard a faint cry of alarm as everything turned black.

\------

MC saw V swayed unsteadily and fell on his knees. She could feel his grip on Ray loosening as she held onto him. She held onto both on them as steadfast as possible and slowly lowered them onto the ground. V had fallen sideways, beside Ray’s unconscious form. Then she saw it: the bloodstain on V’s uniform, exactly at the spot where Rika had stabbed him. She cried in horror at the sight.

MC quickly placed her hand over the bloodstain and pressed against the bleeding wound. She needed to get help as soon as possible. She looked around her in panic. There was no one around. She should run back to the main area to get help. As she was about to get on her feet, she heard the faint voices of unknown men. The firefighters or Jumin’s guards!

“HELP! PLEASE, SOMEONE! HELP ME!” MC screamed desperately. Tears streamed down her panicked face. “PLEASE! HELP!”

The voices were getting louder. It was working, they heard her!

“I’M HERE! PLEAS- PLEASE HELP ME!” Her voice cracked from her parched throat.

The voices soon became audible and the men shouted back. MC stood up quickly and saw Jumin’s bodyguards at the edge of the garden. MC waved her arms frantically. The guards saw her and quickly rushed over.

Everything happened in a flash. The guards arrived at the site and began administering first aid to both V and Ray. They communicated through their handheld transceiver and more guards soon arrived, along with firefighters and paramedics. Both V and Ray were transported out of the area on stretchers, as medical personnel administered oxygen and cleaned their wounds at the same time.

MC trailed behind the many officers. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“MC, are you ok?”

She turned around and saw Jumin.

“Jumin! I didn’t see you. I’m- I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine to me. You’re crying.”

MC looked at the concerned face in front of her and bawled her eyes out. She threw her arms around Jumin and buried her face in his chest.

“I’m-, they- they- , blood, Ray was, Ray- and then- V- V- bleeding again, Ray- they- uuuggghhhhh……Will they- they, be ok?” MC garbled loudly in between sobs. Tears and snot were running freely down her face.

Jumin stared at the brown head of hair and awkwardly put a hand on her back. “You’ve done well. I am also concerned about V, but there is nothing else we can do for now but hope for the best.” Jumin could not hide the worry in his voice. “But please be assured that both of them will receive the best medical care.”

MC looked up at him and nodded.

Jumin had not seen her this close before. Without thinking, he swept MC’s messy strands of hair away from her tears-stricken face and tucked them behind her ear.

“Oh.” She suddenly seemed aware of their close proximity and pulled away. She saw the huge wet spot on Jumin’s chest where she had cried on and flushed with embarrassment.

“Sorry about your uniform.” MC hastily tried to wipe away the spot with her hand but only succeeded in smearing the spot bigger. There were now also red streaks across the spot. Shocked, she withdrew her hand and stared at her palms. There were multiple small cuts on them.

Jumin grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her along. “Come, we’ll get your wounds treated too. Let’s get out of here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to end the heavy chapter with a few light-hearted interactions between Jumin and MC. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	4. The Painful Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> V had not meant for things so go as bad as it did. He had wanted to resolve it on his own, but he failed. 
> 
> With MC's help, Saeran was finally rescued, injured and unconscious.
> 
> All that was left to do was to tell Seven.. the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ray and Saeran are used interchangeably in the beginning since MC was more familiar with the name Ray.

MC rode in the back of one of the ambulances with V, while Ray was transported in another ambulance. Much to MC’s relief, V regained consciousness halfway during the journey.

“MC……are you ok?” V opened his eyes, looking a little dazed.

“V! You’re awake!” MC exclaimed in shock. Tears started welling in her eyes. “I’m fine. We are on our way back to the hospital. Please just rest.” Her voice trembled a little as she caressed his hand.

“Where is.. Sae..ran?”

“Saeran? Oh, you mean Ray? He’s in another ambulance. I.. don’t know how he’s doing though.” MC replied, furrowing her brows in worry. V closed his eyes and exhaled softly.

“I hope he’s ok..” MC whispered, almost to herself. Silent tears ran down her face and she brought her hand to wipe them away.

A sudden vibration from her phone startled her out of her thoughts. She pulled her phone out from her pocket. _5:45am_ …. It was approaching dawn. The day of the supposed party, she mused. Jumin told her that the guests will be informed of the cancellation in the morning.

A message from Jumin had just came in.

_“It’s me. I’ve arrived at the hospital using the helicopter. Everything’s prepared to receive V and the survivor. See you in a while and take care.”_

“ _Thank you.”_ MC replied back.

There were new notifications in her RFA messenger. She quickly opened them and found past chats, mainly between Zen and Yoosung. Yoosung seemed to be taking it rather poorly and was staying with Zen. MC sighed. What a mess.

The rest of the journey passed by silently. Once they reached the hospital, the hospital staff were quick to receive them, transporting both V and Ray out of the vehicles and into the Emergency Department.

“MC!” She turned and saw Jumin standing at one side. Next to him stood a young lady with short hair and glasses. She hurried over to them.

“Jumin! And..” MC turned to the young lady.

“Hello, MC. I’m Jaehee from RFA. We’ve chatted before in the messenger. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person, although the circumstances surrounding this meeting couldn’t be any worse.” Jaehee said solemnly.

MC nodded in agreement. “Hi, Jaehee. Thank you for helping Jumin with all..these.” Jaehee waved her hands dismissively. “It’s nothing.”

“Listen MC,” Jumin interjected. “Luciel called me a short while ago, while I was waiting for your arrival at the hospital. It seemed that he has reached Mint Eye’s building and has heard the news of _two survivors_ from the officers onsite.”

MC stared at Jumin blankly as her mind processed the information. “Seven…?”

“Oh, Seven!” MC was filled with dread as the realization dawned on her. She had completely forgotten about Seven’s involvement in this situation, with Ray- no, Saeran, being his brother.

“Using his skills, he managed to obtained satellite imagery of the site, and saw you, V and… the unidentified survivor. You can imagine the surprise he had when he asked me about you and V.”

“And?” MC whispered, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“I told him that I transported the both of you there, for reasons unclear to me. He was also interested in the other survivor, but I do not know who he is.” Jumin replied. He looked at MC curiously. “Something tells me that you know, though.”

MC stared at the floor, averting her gaze from him. “Uhmm.. I’ll talk to Seven..”

Sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere, Jaehee interrupted MC, “Let’s wait for news about V.”

\-----

V’s wound were quickly cleaned and re-stitched. Luckily for him, his surgical treatment earlier was still intact and his other injuries were relatively mild. Although he lost some blood from the wound, it was not severe enough to warrant a blood transfusion.

MC met him back at his room.

“V! How are you feeling?” MC rushed to his bedside, seeing that he was awake.

“Not too bad… Thank goodness you are alright,” V smiled weakly.

Tears welled in her eyes and she threw her arms around V. “I’m so glad we made it out alive with Ray,” MC sobbed. “I’m so glad you pulled through. When you collapsed, I- I thought-,” MC sniffled noisily.

V slowly brought his arms to wrap around MC. “Thank you, for everything,” he whispered. He nuzzled into her tresses, inhaling her scent. MC could feel his warm breath against her neck. “This is the second time you embraced me,” V murmured. They hugged in silence for a while, taking in the comfort that seemed to melt away some of their worries.

“MC…..what happened to Saeran?” V broke the silence.

MC pulled away from V to reply, “Ray’s condition is still critical…. He was transferred to the intensive care unit, although I have not seen him there yet… I hope he will be okay…” MC stared at the floor, downcast.

“ And V, Seven found out that we went to the site and escaped with a survivor. Jumin told me… But I don’t think Seven knows the identity of the survivor….yet.”

“Luciel is efficient in his work. It will only be a matter of time before he finds out,” V replied. “I think we should talk to him as soon as possible.”

MC looked up and nodded in agreement. “But V, are you alright to speak to him in your condition?”

V gave another weak smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sitting on this bed and you’ll be beside me. I’ll manage.”

\-----

Seven was on his way back from Magenta. There was nothing much to be found on-site, with the building in ruins. He did not detect any electrical signals as well. The hacker had most likely wiped all the data contained in the building. What troubled him most was the satellite images of V, MC and an unknown survivor escaping from the burning building just hours ago. He was unable to get a clear view of the unknown survivor.

V was recently injured and had just gone through an operation. How can he even found the strength to go back to Magenta? Infiltrating a burning building, with MC nonetheless! It was unthinkable. No, what was more troubling was the underlying reason that compelled V and MC to return to Magenta, in his state.

Why? Why? And who is the unknown survivor? Was the reason for them to return to save the unknown person? If so, why?

His phone suddenly rang, jolting him out from his thoughts. He looked at his phone mounted on the dashboard and inhaled sharply. MC. Is it about the rescue?

“Hello, MC? It’s Seven. What is it?”

“Seven! Umm… where are you?”

“I left Magenta not long ago. On my way back..”

“Oh ok… umm, could you come to the hospital first once you reach back? At V’s room, I mean. We..umm… would like to get an update from you…. about the current situation…face to face. Urgently.”

Seven frowned. MC is not a good liar. “Ok… and is there something else to discuss?”

“Umm..” Seven could sense the hesitancy over the phone. “I’m not sure… just come over ok?”

“Alright… I’ll reach there maybe in 2 hours.”

“Ok. See you….” Click.

Did they already found out that he knew about their return to Magenta? There must be something important that they wanted to tell him. The uneasiness gnawed at him. All of a sudden, Seven felt sick to his stomach. Pressing down on the accelerator, he sped through the hills towards the city.

\-----

MC dozed on and off on the spare bed in V’s room. It was morning. She had managed to visit Ray earlier, although she was unable to get a close look as he was still surrounded by the hospital staff. He laid unconscious and was intubated. Multiple lines were attached to his frail body. Poor Ray.

MC opened her eyes blearily. She squinted as the sunlight streamed through the windows and glanced at the clock. It’s already an hour and a half since she called Seven. She rubbed her tired eyes awake. V laid on his bed with his eyes closed. She wasn’t sure if V were asleep or not.

Then..rushed footsteps were heard along the corridor. MC sat up with a bolt. Seven? Already? She was instantly awake. She looked at V who still appeared asleep. Before she could wake V up, the door to the room swung open. It was Seven.

Seven stood at the doorway with disheveled hair. Dark circles lined under his eyes, beneath the rim of his glasses. “V! I’m here.” He closed the door behind him.

V opened his eyes and turn to look at Seven. Slowly, he attempted to sit up, grimacing in pain at the process. MC rushed to his side to help him up. “Luciel… you’re here. Please, have a seat.” Seven shook his head. “I’m fine. How are your injuries?”

“They are fine…”

“Fine enough for you to go to Magenta?” Seven crossed his arms and frowned. “And with MC nonetheless. What were you guys even thinking?”

MC glanced at V worriedly. “There was something important we- I had to do. MC was there to help me,” V replied.

Seven was silent, waiting for V to continue.

“And it was part of the reason why I wanted to speak to you.”

Seven gritted his teeth as dread began to creep in. He was certain it had something to do with the person that was rescued from Magenta. He looked over at MC and was greeted with a nervous face. She quickly averted her gaze from Seven, as if afraid to look to him.

“Luciel….” V had a pained expression on his face. “I’m sorry. Everything I did was wrong. I was late, so late. I was unable to save him earlier.”

“Who…..?”

“The person we went back to save. Did you manage to get a glimpse at him from your satellite images?”

Seven shook his head slowly. His mouth was dry. It is not possible, no, it simply cannot be true.

“I suppose you did not see his face. Otherwise we would be having a…… different conversation right now.” V looked downcast. He looked at Seven with remorse in his eyes. “Luciel, I’m so sorry. Your brother- “

“STOP!” Seven yelled. He was trembling. “V, that was Saeran? Saeran? My brother?”

One look at V’s face was enough to tell him the answer.

“No… V… No… You said Saeran was not involved in this. V, you gave me your word! V!!” Seven cried. His body shook as he tried to absorb the situation.

“I’m… sorry…. I wanted to resolve everything on my own but I failed…. Luciel-“

“Stop!” Seven held both hands over his ears. “Stop, please!” Tears was forming at both eyes. How could this happen? He trusted V with his life. With Saeran’s life. And Rika! What did Rika do to him? Rika said he was safe. She lied to him. She lied. V lied. And he was such a fool to have let it all happen. He was too ignorant. Still naïve, still trapped and betrayed by people he trusted.

The world seemed to spin a little and Seven swayed on his feet. He could see V and MC saying something but he could not hear them. A maelstrom of emotions swirled in him. Shock, denial, anger, betrayal, guilt. What should he do now? And Saeran? Where was Saeran?

“Saeran. Where is Saeran? Where is my brother now?” Seven’s voice trembled. The anguish on his face was plain for all to see.

“Seven, he’s being treated in the intensive care unit,” MC said.

Seven quickly turned to head out of the room. “Seven, wait! I can bring yo-“ MC called after him but he had already left. “I think I should follow him,” MC looked at V worriedly. V gave a small nod and MC dashed out after Seven.

\----

How is he able to run so fast? And how did he know where the ICU was? MC huffed as she ran down the hallway after Seven. She turned around the corner and saw the elevator doors closing with Seven inside. “Wait!!” MC gave one final sprint and squeezed through the closing doors. “Please wait for me,” MC wheezed as she tried to catch her breath.

“MC… My brother…How could this happen?” Seven choked out. “MC….did you know too? That he was my brother?” Tears were pooling at the corner of his eyes.

“No! Seven, I didn’t know until V told me his plan to save him. I didn’t know until then! Seven! I would have told you if I -“

 _Ding._ The elevator door opened at the assigned level.

Seven rushed out of the door with MC close behind. They soon reached the ICU. It was quiet save for the beeping of machines. A nurse sat at the main station overlooking 5 different beds. Only two beds were occupied. MC lifted her hand and pointed at the bed on the far left. “There.”

Seven stopped dead in his tracks. He was suddenly deathly afraid of approaching the bed. From a distance, he could see a head of gray hair and nothing more, except for the many machines and lines surrounding him. “Saeran….” He had begun to shake without realizing it.

“Seven?” MC whispered gently. “Ray- I mean Saeran, your brother- he’s unconscious I think… He was badly injured in the explosion and fire. Shall we go…. and see him?” Seven did not reply. He subconsciously wrapped his arm around himself in an attempt to stop the trembling. “Seven….” MC whispered as she noticed his fear. “Let’s go together, ok?” She grabbed hold of Seven’s hand and pulled gently.

Seven stumbled behind MC as she led him towards his brother. Saeran laid there, hair of grey with a slight tinge of red at the roots. His eyes were closed, with half of his face bandaged, as were his hands. An oxygen tube was connected to his mouth, and multiple lines were hooked into his arms. His chest rose and fell with each breath. A blanket from his chest down kept his body warm.

“…Sae….ran…” Seven slowly reached out to touch his shoulder. “..Sae..ran.. I’m so, so, so sorry… I let this happen to you….” Seven choked in between tears. “This is all my fault…. I should have protected you better…..” Seven was crying in earnest now, as he took in the condition of his brother in front of him.

MC looked at Seven sadly. “Seven…” She turned to look at Saeran. “Ray- I mean Saeran…Your brother is here…. I’m here with you too.” She had not had the chance to see Saeran up-close since the rescue until now. MC started to cry. “I’m sorry that things turn out this way… I’m sorry… Please get better soon…” She reached out her hand and stroke his hair tenderly.

She knew that Saeran was fond of her. If only she was able to convince Saeran Mint Eye was a bad place. If only she was able to bring Saeran out of Mint Eye earlier. She gave out a shaky breath and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Seven was still crying quietly.

They both stood there for a while, lost in their own thoughts. The nurse soon came over. “Both of you, this is the ICU. Unfortunately, long visits are not allowed here as our patients need to rest.”

“I’m.. his brother..” Seven answered softly.

The nurse shook her head. “I’m sorry, no exceptions.. The morning rounds will start soon too. Please leave. You can come back at noon.”

Seven stared at the floor, downcast. His eyes were red and puffy. “Come on, Seven.. Let’s go outside for a while,” MC said. When Seven didn’t reply, MC held his hand and led him out gently. Seven followed dutifully.

Seven broke free of her grasp outside of the ICU. “I’m going to wait here.”

MC widened her eyes. ”Here? In this corridor? You should get some rest.” Seven shook his head wearily. “I need to stay here.” He slumped against the wall, slide down and sat on the floor. “I’ll rest here for now. You go and get some rest..” Seven closed his eyes and exhale loudly.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw that MC was seated beside him, on the floor, against the wall. She had her own eyes closed and head resting on the wall. Much like his, her eyes were lined with dark circles. She must have not gotten much rest either. He saw her bandaged hands.

“MC? What happened to your hands?” Seven gently took her hands in his to examine them. MC withdrew her hands. “I injured them a little earlier… It’s nothing.”

“When you were rescuing Saeran?”

MC gave a little nod. She closed her eyes again. Seven sighed and pat her head gently. “Thank you.” He straightened his legs out and crossed his arms. All his energy was spent. He had emptied out his tears and sorrow. After all the initial adrenaline from the shock and overnight events and crying his eyes out, all that was left was exhaustion. Unbearable exhaustion. He closed his eyes and was soon asleep.

\-----

An hour had passed when Seven roused from his sleep. MC was leaning against him, still asleep. Perhaps he was grateful for her presence, or perhaps it was something else, Seven put his arm around MC to hug her close. MC stirred slightly. “Seven?” She murmured and half-opened her eyes to peer at him. Her face was close to his. He could feel her breath on him.

“Is it time to visit Saeran?”

“Not yet…”

“Mmm..” MC rubbed her eyes. Seven withdrew his arm in slight embarrassment, hoping that she had not noticed it. MC stood up to leave. “I’ll be back shortly.”

Seven stared after her, feeling slightly empty from her leave. The revelations and current situation had shattered his mind. He felt lost, so lost and alone. Although it was hard to understand and even harder to stomach the recent happenings, his first priority was to see Saeran recover.

\----

MC stopped by V’s room to check in on his condition. Although V was still feeling downcast, his wounds were recovering well. They chatted about Saeran’s condition and the rest of the RFA. Jumin was on the news, announcing the cancellation of the party. It was to their shock when they learned from the messenger that Rika appeared at the party only to be apprehended by Jumin’s guards.

V was visibly shaken by the news although he tried not to show it. MC leaned over and gave V a long hug, reassuring him that things will be ok. His eyes began to water, as he held on to her and buried his face in her hair.

“Thank you,” V murmured, stroking her hair with one hand. He had missed her presence during the few hours that she was away. MC nodded slightly, enjoying the warm embrace with him. 

MC broke the embrace reluctantly. “I should go check on Saeran and Seven,” she said. “But I’ll be back soon! So make sure you rest and recover well.” She mustered a smile as best as possible, and V returned the smile gratefully.

By the time MC returned to Seven, he was already beside Saeran, sitting on a chair. Seven laid his head on Saeran’s bed and was fast asleep. They looked really alike, MC mused. MC had bought some sandwiches, water, a small towel and some basic toiletries for Seven. She pulled a nearby chair and sat beside him.

Time slipped by quietly. A few hours later, Seven finally woke up to the sight of Saeran still unconscious and MC dozing on the chair beside him. He stood up and stretched. MC stirred beside him and opened her eyes. “Ughh… Sevenn…you’re up.” She gave a big yawn and reached into the bag on her lap. “Here, some sandwiches for you. You haven’t had anything to eat for the whole day. And toothbrush and toothpaste, soap and a small towel.” MC opened the sandwich pack and shoved it into his hands. Seven was surprised. He couldn’t remember the last time someone cared for him that way. Gratefully, he took the sandwich and other items from her.

He felt much better, having eaten and freshen up. “How was V?”

“He’s recovering..” MC replied. “Did you see the news earlier? About the party… and Rika.”

Seven nodded. “Yeah…honestly, I’m not really surprised anymore. I should feel angry at V and Rika for deceiving us and.. I mean I don’t even know what she put Saeran through at Mint Eye… But I’m just exhausted. I feel kind of numb at this point. I just want Saeran to recover. Other things can come later...” Seven trailed off.

“Yea…” MC looked at Saeran wistfully. “I hope he wakes up soon and quickly recovers. I’ll help him with you, Seven.” Seven looked at her in surprise. “I mean I felt a little guilty for not convincing him to leave Mint Eye when I had the chance..”

Guilty? She was only there for a few short days. If anyone’s feeling guilty, it was Seven, for not realizing sooner. All these years as a hacker, as an informant, and yet he was still so naïve. He shook his head at himself. MC patted him on his back, as though reading his mind. “It’s ok… we’ll all get through this, ok?” She gave him a gentle smile. Seven wanted to believe her so desperately. He returned her smile and nodded.


End file.
